Chapter 119: Light and Dark (16)
I spun in mid-air, spread my wings, and hovered while gazing around.
The bloody slaughter was like the raw, primal struggle of beasts, playing out at every moment. The streets near the northern district of the Royal City were littered with corpses, the stench rising to nauseating levels. Wisps of pale blue light smoke continuously emerged from some alley below, soaring into the sky and darting towards the southern part of the city.
I couldn’t see Iliush… or the monster that was her embodiment. But I knew those wisps of light were definitely chasing after it.
Let’s go!
In an instant, I made up my mind. My flame wings flapped vigorously, and a powerful gust of wind swept me off the ground as I flew low over the city, hurrying toward the direction the light smoke was heading.
Whoosh!
The sound of the wind echoed in my ears.
Flying at near full power, everything below me blurred into a fog of colors. The shops and buildings of the city zipped past, appearing for a moment before being left behind. My loose nun’s habit felt as heavy as lead under the fierce winds, and the wide neckline slid off my shoulder. I tightly gripped the front of my tunic with my left hand, holding my breath and squinting my eyes.
About a hundred meters ahead, countless wispy blue lights converged again, forming a massive vortex of light, all being pulled into an endless black hole. In the center of that light vortex, aside from the swirling dead smoke, it appeared there was nothing else.
But she was right there; I could feel it.
At that moment, Iliush had stopped suppressing her aura, freely devouring the light that resembled soul smoke.
I clenched my fists.
…I’m going after her!
Boom—
Black flames erupted behind me, roaring with a scorching intensity as they propelled me, a tiny figure zipping through the myriad of light smoke like a dart aiming for the vortex, the sound echoing with a series of explosive “bang-bangs” from my flapping clothes.
I tightened my grip on my tunic and stretched my right arm back, palm open. A powerful wave of ice mist surged from my hand, intermingling with the remnants of flames, trailing a long tail of frost and boosting my speed further.
Eighty meters… fifty… getting closer…
Rip!
Suddenly, I heard the sound of fabric tearing.
!
Is that my nun’s habit…? Oh no…
Stop it! I’m not wearing anything underneath!
Realizing this in an instant, I gasped as my small hand trembled, my heart skipped a beat, and I had no time to check where it had ripped. Slowing down was not an option; in a flash, I was almost right at the center of the light smoke.
…I’m going all in!
I steeled my resolve, gritted my teeth, and blue light surged from my right palm, a thick white frost instantly enveloping half of my body and the sky above. A freezing gale lashed out, drowning out the crackling of flames, as the sound of shattering ice resonated, making the entire world look frostily white.
I hesitated for a moment.
In those dark but bright eyes, my eyelashes fluttering delicately in the swirling ice crystals.
Wings of flame flapped backward, slowing me down.
In the next moment, I lifted my right hand, fists clenched, and struck down toward the center of the light smoke.
“Ahhhhhh!”
With all my strength.
Bang, bang, bang, bang—!!!
Cold currents and shards of ice blasted through the center of the light smoke like a furious dragon, howling as they surged from directly above the city, enveloping countless wisps of pale blue light inside—these wisps wouldn’t freeze, of course, but gradually, the frosty mist and crystallizing ice began to outline the body of the monster at the center.
Just as I thought!
Iliush couldn’t vanish into thin air; she was simply using powers akin to illusions to obscure… or deceive the senses, preventing me from seeing or sensing her. But those wisps of light wouldn’t lie.
She couldn’t do it anymore… or rather, in her current state, she didn’t want to expend any more effort to hide them.
No matter what, I found you!
“Stop, Iliush!” I shouted.
Crackle, crackle, crackle…
In the midst of the swirling ice mist, the frost rapidly spread before my eyes, and the continuous sound of freezing erupted from the “invisible” monster. The pitch-black silhouette quietly emerged through the thickening white fog, wings quaking with rapid vibrations; a sharp, ear-piercing howl came from its massive jaw, followed by howling winds that swept toward me. I was knocked back, quickly shutting my mouth and closing my eyes tight.
Flying in mid-air, my balance faltered severely; the violent shaking almost sent me crashing to the ground. I frantically flapped my flame wings, managing to flip through the air several times to stabilize myself, but my speed came to a sudden halt, and I hovered there, grimacing as I dug at my ears.
“Ugh…”
My eardrums throbbed in pain, my head buzzing, and I saw stars, dizzy from the sound. That roar seemed more than just noise; it felt like it contained an assault on my very psyche.
My head hurt even more…
The frosty mist fell like winter snow in front of me.
I shook my head vigorously.
Ahead, that monster, which was nearly half covered in frost and surrounded by numerous wisps of light, darted away at high speed, quickly creating a gap of several dozen meters between us.
So this level isn’t enough after all…
I couldn’t care about my discomfort any longer and flapped my flame wings fiercely once more.
Whoosh!
The fierce wind stung my cheeks, like my flesh was being torn apart. As my speed increased, my nun’s habit, flapping wildly, made multiple ripping sounds. One of my little shoes was lost to the wind, and I hugged my torso tightly, pushing myself to accelerate and get closer to the monster.
I had no idea how far I’d flown from the church.
The soldiers were nowhere to be seen on the streets below, only the occasional flash of fallen soldiers. The deceased horned horses lay quietly by the roadside, and I sometimes spotted disheveled civilians. They numbly raised their heads to see me streaking by above, screams echoing behind me, but the terror on their faces hadn’t fully formed before I left them behind.
The city was no longer the prosperous place it once was.
And the culprit behind all this wasn’t a monster from the abyss.
This is just…
Countless buildings rushed by below; I had gathered all my strength to propel myself with black flames, quickly closing the distance to the monster. Moments later, that giant creature resembling a butterfly was now just within reach.
“Iliush—”
As soon as I opened my mouth, the wind rushed in, making it hard to breathe, and the shout I intended to make was swallowed whole.
But it seemed communication was futile.
I had to resort to force; I needed to find a way to make her stop…
Realizing this, I released my embrace, stretching my arms wide. Channeling the Frost Order, dazzling blue light exploded from my body. Holding my breath, I swept my arms forward like a storm.
Bang, bang, bang, bang—!!!
Numerous ice projectiles the size of fists slammed into the monster’s back legs, abdomen, and wings. The icy tempest erupted from its enormous body, resembling dazzling frost fireworks bursting open, and the temperature of the air dropped sharply. Ice cold mist sprayed everywhere, and amidst the frosty haze, I faintly saw the monster stumble for a brief moment.
An opportunity!
In the next moment, a freezing mist swirled with a furious wind erupted from behind me, my flame wings fanning fiercely. In an instant, dark flames enveloped my entire body, and I broke through the turbulent currents ahead, darting above the monster, leaping onto its back, and grabbing hold of the long antennae sticking up from its head.
“Roar—”
The monster thrashed violently, its body shaking as it plummeted in flight, desperately trying to shake me off. I lost my balance and decided to sit right down in the “neck” between its head and chest, clenching my legs tightly around it, gripping the antennae for dear life while I exhaled a sigh.
Iliush, I’m so sorry… just hold on a little longer.
Blue light surged in my pupils.
Boom!
The frosty explosion erupted from my body, dense, almost tangible white mist consuming the monster and everything before me.
